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Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
Filled with subversions both major and minor, the Aanand L Rai production is packed with superbly sketched characters and spot-on performances. It uses a light touch to launch a heavy attack on homophobia, general intolerance and repressive tendencies, and the very foundation of the conventional Indian family.
Feb 2020
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Masaan
...has memorable performances and a sensitively observed account of decay and redemption.
Jul 2015
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Gully Boy
Dreams and reality fuse seamlessly in Gully Boy, Zoya Akhtar’s most heartfelt and accomplished movie yet. Akhtar’s fourth feature is headlined by an outstanding Ranveer Singh, packed with well-picked actors and neatly-etched characters, and filmed with infectious passion.
Feb 2019
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Dangal
...is a rousing study of the quest for perfection – and Aamir is the perfect lead.
Dec 2016
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Udta Punjab
...soars on the back of hard-hitting scenes and superb performances from its cast, but a shorter trip would have given the movie the kick it sorely needed to be counted as the definitive drama on the moral corruption of an entire society.
Jun 2016
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Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
It’s rare to find a sequel that’s as entertaining as the first and ties up the loose ends neatly while still leaving room for an offshoot. Or is that just wishful thinking?
Apr 2017
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Tu Hai Mera Sunday
Through its cross-weave of characters and subplots, Tu Hai Mera Sunday suggests that the spirit of Mumbai isn’t a cliché. All it needs is some space to stretch and kick around a ball or two.
Oct 2017
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Article 15
...isn’t exactly nuanced about the brutal system that continues to subjugate Dalits, but neither are the times. The implausible portions balance out the moments that echo the headlines. For every scene that seems out of place, another comes along to remind us of why this movie is effectively landing its punches.
Jun 2019
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Ittefaq
...a film that is both a sleek and original thriller as well as a throwback to older Bollywood suspense dramas.
Nov 2017
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Court
Chaitanya Tamhane’s elegantly assembled and immensely powerful debut packs together observation, humanism, intelligence and beauty.
Apr 2015
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Jawaani Jaaneman
...smartly directed movie that is a family drama pretending to be a romcom.
Jan 2020
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Margarita With A Straw
Laila is a compelling heroine and is winningly performed by Koechlin with solid backing from Gupta and Revathy.
Apr 2015
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Happy Bhag Jayegi
Set in a world overflowing with characters perpetually on the prowl for a good joke, Happy Bhag Jayegi survives its manufactured premise.
Aug 2016
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Andhadhun
Raghavan’s talent for imagining ordinary people as proficient criminals in the right conditions and his use of locations and sharply etched characters to advance his plot is put to great use in Andhadhun.
Oct 2018
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Soorma
...by downplaying the genre’s excesses – chest-thumping jingoism, macho aggression, excessive manipulation – and giving its hero enough room to find his place in the world, Soorma ensures that this triumphal journey of the human spirit is full of surprises.
Jul 2018
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Feb 2015
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Jagga Jasoos
...a zany, warm-hearted and popsicle-bright movie that never loses its infectious spirit of adventure even its most expendable moments.
Jul 2017
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Nov 2017
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Tumbbad
...is the personal exploration of one man’s demons and the inevitability of him living with them forever no matter what he achieves. Rigorously detailed as a period film, Tumbbad has resonance with class structures that exist today.
Oct 2018
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Feb 2015
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Piku
...has the same collection of fundamentally decent, endearing and eccentric characters that made Vicky Donor such a winner.
May 2015
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Bahubali
Every frame pulsates with the passion of a filmmaker openly staking his claim as the most adventurous soul travelling through mainstream cinema at the moment.
Jul 2015
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Aug 2018
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CRD
...remains audacious throughout, carried along by the top-notch acting and the plethora of surprises that the writers keep throwing at their characters and the viewers.
Sep 2017
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Love Sonia
Despite the disjointed narrative, which leaps from one idea to another, the unconvincing plot turns, and the unending agony that awaits Sonia at every turn, the movie doesn’t waver from its focus on the inherently exploitative nature of sex work.
Sep 2018
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Chhapaak
...is needlessly uneven and sluggish at times, but it’s most powerful when it keeps things simple and stays on course.
Jan 2020